Are Alia and Esha at loggerheads?

By Hindustan Times

MUMBAI, March 4 -- In an industry as competitive as Bollywood, stories of rivalry are more than common. And now rumours suggest that the latest to be miffed with each other are Alia Bhatt and Esha Gupta.

Apparently Sidharth Malhotra is the reason the two young stars have been exchanging cold vibes.

"Esha and Alia are both being considered for the role of the female lead in Villain, which is Sidharth's next film. Alia, who has worked with him in Student Of The Year (2012), shares a close bond with the actor and is quite possessive of him," says a source, adding, "And since Esha was at a promotional event with him recently, reports about them spending time together surfaced. Alia mustn't have liked that."

To make matters worse, theirs seem to be the only two names being considered to play Sidharth's love interest in Mohit Suri's next that will be produced by Ekta Kapoor. While both Alia and Esha remained unavailable for comments, a spokesperson from the film says, "It's too early to comment on the lead."

Villain will showcase Sidharth in the rugged role of an angry young man, moving away from the lover-boy image his debut film presented him in.